Destined
by shmow-zows
Summary: Erik pays his nightly visit to Kinana's bar.


It was fairly obvious that Erik only frequented this bar because of her. He couldn't even lie, and say that he worked nearby because that tiny giggle of hers forced him to divulge his life story. She had him under a spell, a spell he couldn't seem to shake, and he honestly didn't know why.

There's the possibility that her interest in his scar drew him to the purple-haired pixie - anything's better than disgust, or fear, right?

_"You look like a super villain, you know, b-but not like the truly evil ones! Like the ones that were tortured as children, and grew up to have justified intentions, and stuff." _

She was a fantastic conversationalist, he swore she could spin a worthwhile conversation out of virtually anything. Then there was her evident beauty: bright eyes, kind smile, dainty yet impossibly sturdy fingers, skin that outshone the full moon with its radiance… No, no this spell was so, so much more than a superficial infatuation.

Erik was well aware of what it was about Kinana that drove him mad but the thought terrified him, made him gag a little, if he was being honest. He couldn't admit that he loved her because he'd only spoken to her, what, five times, much less admit that he fell in love with her the moment she slammed a shot of bourbon before him: _"You look like you've had a rough day."_

He smiled at the memory. God, she was cute.

It was an unusually crowded night. Erik hoped there would be a spot at the bar (he actually panicked at the thought of having to sit at a booth tonight, but chose to ignore it because he barely knew her, he can't love her, he's being stupid, and a million other lies Erik reiterated). The stench of puke, and sweat assaulted his nostrils. He had flinched the first time he came in, but had gotten used to the pungent odor over the course of this week.

Pushing past the leather-clad bikers proved to be a much harder task than the spiky-haired man had imagined. They were heavy, and drunk, stumbling around the hazy pool tables, and wheezing as their mates failed to sink a ball in one of the holes. The college kids were surprisingly, and relatively silent tonight. They'd chosen the furthest right corner of the dingy lounge, a booth where no doubt some drunk math major would fumble with his drunken mistake's zipper, and exchange sloppy kisses while trying his best to feel whomever sat next to him up indiscreetly.

Erik had managed to shove several scraggly women aside.

"Watch it," one scolded, her breath stained with what he assumed was a mix of low-quality whiskey, and Coke. Her blue mascara had smeared over her waxy complexion, fishnets caught, and ripped on a bolt jutting out from one of the barstools. The woman staggered toward the other end of the bar in her ratty platforms. Erik saw her lean into a man's lap, and looked away.

"You're back," a voice chirped.

His heart skipped.

"Yeah, well, can't get enough of these," he spoke, holding up a stale peanut before crushing the thin shell between his index and thumb. Kinana flashed him a shy smile.

"The usual poison?"

"Nah, I'm… I'm just going to sit tonight."

He began to scratch at the old wooden counter. When was the last time he cut his nails?

Erik felt her eyes boring into the top of his head. He couldn't look at her. Not now.

"I know what you need."

The girl vanished, and reappeared behind Erik within a matter of seconds. She tugged on his white coat, "come on."

Erik turned to face the girl, eyebrow cocked.

"It's fine, just come on," she giggled, hand how clasping his own. He was surprised at how difficult it was to try, and reign in his now erratic heartbeat. He felt is hands clam up - was he breathing at all?

The tiny girl led him outside, the cool night air stinging his eyes. His chest suddenly didn't feel so heavy. "Where are we going?"

"Just wait!"

She walked briskly, pushing past the late night pedestrians on the dirty sidewalk, often pressing up against the worn brick walls, and snaking around lamp posts with such determination.

"Kinana-!"

"Just waiit," she called again, her grip tightening on the man's hand, not knowing that the last thing he wanted to do was let go. She suddenly turned into an alley, careful not to step in any puddles, or garbage. "Up," Kinana commanded, gesturing toward a rusty ladder hanging from the building's fire escape.

He looked at her again, cocking his eyebrow.

"Will you just trust me?"

Erik hesitated, but then wrapped a callused hand around one of the creaky rungs.

The climb was slippery, grimy. He wondered how Kinana was fairing underneath him, and once he reached the top, immediately turned to help the girl up onto the building's roof. She smiled at him thankfully before dusting off the rust that had stuck to her hands. The woman strode forward, looking back only to nod him in her direction.

Gravel crunched beneath Erik's feet. He joined Kiana by the rightmost edge of the roof.

"Wow," he whispered.

The city sparkled ahead: yellow, red, green, white. The only thing to be heard from up there was the silent hum of traffic, and gentle autumn breeze.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Kinana spoke, her voice like honey: sweet, rich, comforting. "I know it sounds cliché but I like to come up here whenever it gets too… loud."

"And which RomCom did you steal _this _one from?" Erik chuckled, nudging the girl beside him. She giggled, and returned the shove, "none, now shut up."

He smiled before noticing that the girl had her arms wrapped tightly around her tiny waist. What was she thinking, leaving without a jacket? He removed his coat with one swift motion, and draped it around her small shoulders.

"And which RomCom did you steal _THAT _move from?"

"Shut up," he grinned, eyes staring at his worn dress shoes.

"Erik?"

He turned to face Kinana. Her eyes were full of warmth, and genuine concern. _When was the last time anyone looked at him like this?_

"Erik, what's wrong?"

He looked down again. It wouldn't be fair to unload on her, not now. He felt something wrap delicately around his bicep, "Erik?"

"It's nothing, Kin, really," he sighed.

"Don't bullshit me. You can't bullshit me, I know you too well."

"You do realize we've only spoken, like, five times, right?" That came out a lot colder than Erik had meant. He saw her look down in his peripherals, downcast. Guilt clutched his heart.

"Kin, I'm sorry, I—"

"I don't have to know everything about you to _know _you, Erik," she whispered, her grasp on the man's arm loosening. He panicked. Erik opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by Kinana once more.

"You know I look forward to your nightly visits? They're the highlight of my day. I don't think I've been this excited, or happy about anything since you started visiting."

She continued to look at her feet, grip fluctuating with each word she spoke.

"So yeah, I do know we've only spoken five times. I've been counting. I've been planning conversations in my head, too, because I never want to lose your interest. You help me get through my shift, you actually take an interest. No one ever has before. I didn't have anyone until you started visiting the bar. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's true. I think about you all the time, Erik, in a way you probably don't ever think of me, and that's okay so long as I get to talk to you every night. I just—" her delicate voice hitched at the last word. Erik could tell she was choking back tears. He felt his own throat start to close up.

"I just can't help but think that, I don't know, we were destined to meet, or something. I don't want to let that go unmentioned. And now I sound stupid because I brought you here so you'd feel better but I'm probably scaring the crap out of you with all of this. The point is, I know you. I do. I know you because I know myself, and as far as I'm concerned, we're pretty much the same, and do believe we were destined to meet."

She dug her nails into his arm at the last bit.

Erik stood frozen, unable to process what Kinana had just divulged. A million things raced through his mind, most of them curses at his inability to emote. He wanted to hold her - properly hold her - but he couldn't move. He wanted to reassure her that hey, he felt the same way; that he had been going crazy this past week, wishing on 11:11's, and morning stars that time would move even faster than before so he'd get to see her again; that he had abandoned his, "girls at bars are trouble," mantra the second he had laid eyes on her, that he fell in love with her instantly, but his mouth was dry. Erik's tongue was tied. His muscles had ceased to function. He shut down.

"E-Erik…?"

He stared.

"A-are you okay? Are you having a stroke?" Kinana asked, genuinely concerned - or was that terror in her eyes?

"Erik, please say somethi—"

"I love you, Kinana."

She blinked in surprise. Erik heard her breath get caught in her throat. Her gasp seemed so much louder than it truly was - fuck.

"I-I love you, Kinana," he spoke solemnly, fighting his desperate desire to backdown, and pretend he hadn't said anything, "I have since I first met you."

Kinana didn't react. She couldn't. She just stared at him, baffled.

"That whole thing about feeling like we're meant teh be, an' stuff… I feel that way, too. Coming teh see you after work… it's all I look forward to all day. All I ever wanna do is talk to you, and be with you, but I thought you'd go runnin' if I asked you out so soon, an' that's the last thing I want - I-I want you here with me. I wanna—"

Erik never got to finish his sentence.

Kinana's lips were on his before Erik even had time to react. It was everything he imagined it would be (and yes, he had fantasized about this moment a lot more than he would ever admit): sweet, gentle, familiar. Her kiss was so soft, tasted of bubblegum, and dulcet rum, a harsh contrast to his chapped, rough lips.

Kinana's hand cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing over the mangled skin around his eye. Erik pulled her hips closer to his, angling his head so as to deepen the kiss. She seemed to mold into him, her tiny frame fitting perfectly into his tall, muscular body. He pressed his lips harder into hers, wanting to lose himself in this moment, forget everything, and just consume her - her scent, her taste, the way her short hair ticked his nose, the way her green tank top bunched up underneath his curled fingers.

She broke the kiss, gasping silently for air, and staring into his dark eyes. They were both shocked, both confused, both… dazed.

Then she started to smile, and Erik swore time stopped altogether.


End file.
